29:T4a6,

Laboratory experiments were performed to determine phytotoxic potentials of white top (Lepidium draba) methanol extracts (root, stem and leaf) on germination and early growth of corn (Zea mays) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus). Furthermore, the effects of different methanol extracts of L. draba on the phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA) and zeatin) levels of corn and redroot pigweed were investigated. It was observed that all concentrations of methanol extracts of root, stem and leaf of L. draba inhibited germination, radicle and plumule elongation when compared with the respective controls. Besides this, the degree of inhibition was increased in concert with increasing concentrations of extracts used. On the other hand, phytohormone levels changed with the application of different extract concentrations. Comparing with the control, the GA levels significantly decreased while the ABA levels increased in all the application groups. Zeatin and IAA levels showed changes depending upon the applied extracts and concentrations.

2a:T4f5,

The aims of this study were to clarify the effects of dietary boric acid or borax, as a boron (B) source, on hormonal status (leptin, insulin, triiodothyronine (T₃), and thyroxine) and some biochemical parameter levels as glucose, carnitine, nonesterified fatty acids, and betahydroxybutyric acid in rats. A total of 30 Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into three equal groups: the animals in the first group (control) were fed with a standard rodent diet containing 6.4 mg B/kg, and the animals in the experimental group were fed with a standard rodent diet added with boric acid and borax (100 mg B/kg) throughout the experimental period of 28 days. The B compounds especially borax decreased leptin, insulin, and glucose levels, whereas increased T₃ and carnitine levels in plasma. In addition, body weight of rats was found to be low in the boric acid group at the end of 4 weeks. Consequently, our results demonstrate that B supplementation (100 mg/kg) in diet decreases body weight, leptin, and insulin, whereas increases T₃ levels in plasma, so enhances the metabolic activity of rats. Between the B compounds used in this study, it was found that borax had a greater effect on hormonal status than boric acid.

2b:T449,

Mycotoxins, the toxic products of molds, exposure causes serious adverse health problems in human, animals, and crops. Determining the potential genotoxic effects of these substances is, therefore, of great importance. We have evaluated the genotoxic toxicity of two trichothecenes – diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and T-2 toxin – using the wing somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. The SMART is based on the principle that the loss of heterozygosis of recessive markers located on the left arm of chromosome 3 – multiple wing hairs (mwh) at the map position 0.3 and flare-3 (flr ³) at the map position 38.8 – may occur through various mechanisms such as mitotic recombination, mutation, deletion, half-translocation, chromosome loss, and nondisjunction. Both the mycotoxins were administered to third instar larvae (72 ± 4 h old) at concentrations ranging from 5 to 40 μM. Based on our results, DAS and T-2 toxins does not exert genotoxic effects up to a concentration of 40 μM.

2c:T65b,